Bagels

My husband has been nagging me to make bagels, he even looked for recipes and kept sending them to me and telling me to try them. He is from NJ and spent many holidays, and summers in NJ near NY. We have even been there many times since we have been married, and all he can talk about is their pizza and their bagels. Oh the bagels... are what dreams are made of, at least in his mind. So I finally gave in... I made homemade bagels. The recipe was curtousy of hubpages.com. They provided a great recipe and lots great comments on how to make sure these turn out right. I don't think I can express how excited he was that I was making these bagels. He wanted to help me. He was reading off the ingredients, and the directions. It was nice to work with him in the kitchen. That doesn't happen very often, so I was grateful. I decided to double the recipe since I had a feeling that if I made a single, it would last a total of 5 min. Then there would be no more later, when he would be craving them. So I doubled the recipe and here is what we got...

Ingredients (double batch)

8 cups of bread flour

2 tbsp sugar

3 tsp salt

2 tbsp vegetable oil

4 tsp instant yeast (2 pkg instant yeast)

3 cups warm water

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. You don't have to worry about soaking the yeast when you use instant yeast (most yeast sold these daysis instant yeast). The dough should feel stiff, but add the extra water if it's really stiff, or you can't get all the dry flour incorporated.

Plop the dough down onto the counter, and kneed for about 10 min, or until the dough is uniform and smooth.

Cut the dough into 8 equal sized balls, and let rest for 10-20 min.

(side note - cover dough with plastic wrap or towel, or the dough will get a crust while waiting)

Preheat your oven to 425F

Now, take each of the dough balls and using two hands, roll it into a little snake on the counter. When the snake is longer than the width of your two hands, wrap it around your dominant rolling hand. The dough rope should be wrapped so the overlapping ends are together at palm, near the start of your fingers. Now take the two overlapping ends, and use your palm to squish/roll these two ends together. Once the dough is fused, you should have a perfectly circular bagel-to-be! This is the only part of the process that can take a little practice before your bagels will look really professional. Don't get discouraged if they don't look perfect, it takes practice!

Let your bagels rest on the counter for about 20 min, and meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil, and grease a large baking tray lightly, you can just rub a splash of vegetable oil and rub it around.

After the 20 minute wait, your bagels will start to look puffy, and it's time to get them boiling! Add them as many at a time as you can to your boiling water without crowding them. Boil for about a minute, turn them over, and boil for another minute. Take them out and let dry for a minute and then place them on your oiled baking tray. Repeat until all the bagels are boiled.

Add the tray to the oven, and after 10 minutes, flip the bagels over, bake for another 10 minutes; and they're done!

Let them cool for at least 20 minutes, get the cream cheese ready and feast on what's got to be one of the best weekend brunch treats possible!

These were really fun to make and fairly simple too. I know the boiling sounds daunting, but it's really easy and nothing to stress over. I think that is what had me worried for a while. I'm most likely going to be making these again... soon. Our double batch is almost gone. We had 7 left this morning, (we made these yesterday). And now I have 2, to eat during the week. I need to start making these by the double batch every other day. I guess I'd better get started tomorrow. :) I hope you enjoy these and enjoy making them. I know we had fun!

Chicken Pot Pies with Croissant Tops

I had some leftovers that I wanted to use, as well as some boiled chicken that I made some chicken broth from that I wanted touse tonight in my dinner. So here is what I made. :)

Ingredients:

2 cups mashed potatoes (leftovers)

1 bag frozen mixed veggies

1 can cream of chicken soup withe herbs (campbell's)

1/2 can french onion soup (campbell's)

1 cup chopped cooked chicken

mixed all together, and heated til boiling.

In the bottom of individual pie pans, place 1/3 of a pillsbury grands croissant refrigerator dough and press along the bottom of the pan.

Place some of the chicken mixture in the pie pan til full to the top, then top with the other 2/3 of the croissant.

Repeat till done. I was able to fill 5 individual pans. Bake in a 350F oven for 15-20 min until the croissant is browned, remove and cool for 10 min before eating. :)

This is a quick and easy recipe.

Apple, Pear, Squash Crumb Pie

I know it looks a lot like my apple crumb pie. It is similar, but different. This time I had some leftover brown sugar, butter and cinnamon spaghetti squash, and it tastes so much like apples, I thought it might be good in a pie. I cut up my apples which were starting to go soft, and the spaghetti squash, and I realized that my home canned pears would make a yummy addition. So, out came a jar of pears that I canned last year. :) I made my favorite pie crust, and put that on the bottom, then I filled the middle with yummy goodness, and then topped it with the amazing crumb topping from my previous apple crumb pie. Here is how to make your own version. Enjoy :)

Ingredients:

Filling:

1 cup spaghetti squash precooked with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.

3 red delicious apples peeled, cored and diced

3 gala apples peeled, cored and diced

1 pint jar of canned pears, diced

3 tbsp flour

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 lemon - juice

Topping:

2 cups flour

1/2 cup quick oats

3/4 cup melted butter

1 packed cup brown sugar

Crust:

2 cups sifted flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup oil

1/4 cup milk

This will make two 9 inch pies.

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix the crust ingredients together and roll out and place in your pie pans. Set Aside. Peel, core and dice the apples, dice the pears, and mince the spaghetti squash and place together in a bowl. Squeeze the lemon on top and mix in, to help the apples not change color. Lightly toss together in a separate bowl the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg then toss together with the fruit mixture. make sure all is well incorporated. Spoon mixture into the prepared pie pans. 1/2 in each pan.

In a separate bowl mix together the crumb topping. Stir well. Lightly crumble on top of each pie, use 1/2 of mixture on each pie.

Place pies in the oven for 50-60 min. Pies will bubble and crust will lightly brown.

Remove and let set, until cooled.

Serve and enjoy :)

Chicken Broth - from Scratch :)

Chicken Broth

Ingredients:

1 chicken - cut pieces (Neck, legs, wings, breasts)

1 1/2 cups dehydrated celery pieces

2 medium onions - skins and all cut into pieces

4 large carrots cut into pieces

3-4 bay leaves

2 tsp thyme

2 tsp basil

4 tsp Rosemary garlic Seasoning

Combine all ingredients into a large pot or kettle and add water to cover plus 2 inches. Set pot on high heat until boiling, reduce heat simmer for 2 hours covered. Remove chicken.

Strain broth in cheese cloth lining a large strainer over a heatproof bowl. Discard vegetables and seasoning. Cool to life off fat, or desire to clarify broth skim fat.

When bones are cool enough remove meat from bones for another use.

Refrigerate broth and any reserved meat in separate covered containers up to 3 days or freeze up to 6 months.

Makes 6 - 8 cups broth and about 2 1/2 cups meat.

** To clarify broth, combine 1 cup cold water and 1 egg white; stir hot, strained broth in pot or kettle. Bring to boiling, remove from heat; let stand 5 min, strain broth.

Directions came from my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

This is really good especially if you are trying to watch your sodium intake and trying to use up any chicken or poultry. Great to freeze and use another time. You can freeze in a ice cube tray to make it easier to store, once frozen in the ice cube trays transfer to a freezer bag to store in the freezer. Remember to date when you put in the freezer, so you can use before 6 months.

Spaghetti Tacos and Cinnamon Sugar Spaghetti Squash

My kids wanted me to make Spaghetti Tacos, which is something they saw on an episode of iCarly (which is one of their favorite T.V. shows). Carly's brother Spencer, who is an eccentric artist and her caretaker, makes spaghetti tacos for dinner one night. My kids really really want me to make this.

There is something about loading carbs onto more carbs that isn't too appealing. But, the things we do for our kids.

Ingredients:

12 oz spaghetti noodles - cooked and drained

26 oz spaghetti sauce (your choice)

1 (.7oz ) pkg dry italian seasoning mix

1 lb ground beef browned and drained

crunchy taco shells

parmesan cheese or shredded cheese for topping

Directions:

Brown ground beef in a pot and drain. While draining, boil spaghetti in the same pot 9-11 minutes or until done. Drain.

Add the beef back into the pot and add Italian seasoning mix and stir into meat well. Add sauce and mix into meat followed by the spaghetti and simmer until warm.

Bake taco shells at 325 degrees for 5-6 minutes or until warm.

Spoon spaghetti mix into the taco shells, top with desired toppings and enjoy :)

This was copied from a website for Nickelodeon's iCarly Spaghetti Taco Recipe. I hope you enjoy your tacos.

VERDICT!

We enjoyed these, my kids loved them. This is a good idea to use with your leftover spaghetti. We will most likely make these again. My husband said he had definitely not ever had something like that before. I like to shake things up a little bit :)

I also made another spaghetti squash. This time I used brown sugar, butter and cinnamon. My kids said it was good. My husband said it tasted like carmel cinnamon apple. I thought it was really a nice flavor. I kept thinking it would make a nice alternative to an apple pie filling or to use as a filler with the apple pie filling.

Chili with leftovers

I was thinking of not posting this recipe since it isn't completely from scratch, but I guess some of the things in here I made from scratch so I'll post it :) This isn't my normal chili, but it works in a pinch.

I tried to use some of the leftovers I had in the fridge so I didn't have to work too hard in the kitchen today. here's what I did.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup leftover sloppy joe mixture (leftovers)

1 1/2 cup taco meat (leftovers)

2 cans store bought chili with beans

3 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp paprika

1 can sweet cream corn (for sweetness)

Put all ingredients in the crock pot and let simmer for 2 hrs on high.

I am serving it with rice, cheese and sour cream.

VERDICT!

My son tested the chili and said it was a little sweet. (maybe they will eat more of it :)) It is very good, not very sweet, it has a nice flavor. The kids said it was the BEST chili they had ever had. Braeden had two bowls, I was a piggy and had two bowls, and the others ate their bowls clean... I will definitely be making this chili again. I will try to make taco's, and sloppy jo's in the same week, for this yummy leftover chili. It really was good. :) My Texas roots would be proud. :) It had a nice after taste, and flavor. Not too spicy that the kids wouldn't eat it, but just enough of a kick to be flavorful. :) A definite winner :) Enjoy!

Bacon Wrapped Beef Roast with Homemade Mashed Potatoes

I decided to try something different with my beef roast today. I wanted to be a little fancy, since today is my oldest's birthday. I wanted it to feel like he was at a fancy restaurant. I decided to try a lattice weave with the bacon on top of the beef.

Ingredients:

1 beef roast

1 pkg bacon

steak seasoning salt

liquid smoke

Directions:

I dried off the outside of the beef, Then I sprinkled and rubbed in on all sides of the beef the seasoning salt, then started laying the bacon across the top of the beef. Once the beef was covered in the bacon I placed it in a roasting pan that was coated in olive oil. Then I put the lid on it and put it in a 325F oven for 3.5 hrs. Low and slow cooking it.

It came out like a nice beef brisket. It was pretty good, and the bacon came out nice and crispy. :) The kids said it was really yummy. The left overs will most likely be used as a pulled beef bbq. I hope you try this and enjoy.

along with this I served my homemade mashed potatoes :)